Introduction to Philosophy: A Free Course

Below are the syllabus and materials for my Introduction to Philosophy course. You are welcome to use any of the material as a student or as an instructor. The usual creative commons license applies to my portion of this—i.e., only the stuff to which I would have a copyright. (If you are my student, remember that you can be quizzed on the contents of the syllabus.)

II. Course Overview

We tend to think and worry about issues that are important to us, such as:

Career/Vocation: What jobs do we want? Should we quit our job? How can work be better?Facts: When should we trust people, institutions, test results, evidence, etc.? How? And why?Finances: How should we save/invest? How much does a good life cost? How should insurance work?Lifestyle: Should I relax or study? What should I eat (or not eat)? What should I do (or not do) with my body?Politics: What institutions/policies/candidates should we support (if any)? How should we decide?Relationships: What makes a relationship/friend/partner good? Are we as likable as I think? Does it matter?

This class will introduce us to new (and hopefully better) tools for answering these questions. So, by learning these tools in class (and outside of class), then we could think (and hopefully live) better. Specifically, we could improve our ability to analyze and evaluate real-world problems, arguments, evidence, and/or principles. That is both good news and bad news—ask me about this in class some time.

Warning: Learning the tools of philosophical analysis and evaluation is not very difficult. However, applying these rules to new material without a philosopher’s guidance can be surprisingly hard. The best medicine seems to be practice. So, practice. And practice again (not just in the classroom). And make sure that at least some of your practice conditions mimic assignment and test conditions—e.g., write your answers with some kind of time constraint and without immediate access to the answers.

III. Course Materials:

iClicker Student Remote. To receive credit for daily attendance, quizzes, and/or participation, you must have an iClicker. You will probably need an iClicker on the first day of class.

(Short) Introduction(s) to (Some) Philosophy. (Available in the online course, but links to each reading are below, wherever possible.)

IV. Course Grading

Your final grade is determined by various aspects of the course. Early assignments count less than later assignments so that someone can make common mistakes early in the course and still get an A in the course—assuming they learn from mistakes, of course. (You’re welcome.)

Bluebooks

5%

You need to turn in 2 large (8.5″ x 11″) blue/green books during the first week. The campus bookstore sells them for less than $1.00. I will return one to you on each test day.

Paper 1

10%

Two paragraphs—yes, two. In the first paragraph, you explain the strongest version of an argument (I select the argument). In the second paragraph, you will explain what you take to be the strongest objection to that argument.

Test 1

10%

Write extra small, small, medium, and large (1-2 paragraph) answers to questions like the ones on in-class assignments in a Blue/Green book during class.

Classwork

25%

You will complete in-class assignments—often in groups. Also, if no one volunteers to contribute to a discussion, then I will choose a name at random to start the discussion. I reserve the right to give a short quiz during any class.

Paper 2

25%

Like Paper 1, but about a different argument (that I select) and with a third paragraph: what you take to be the strongest counter-response to the strongest objection to the argument.

Test 2

25%

Like Test 1, but cumulative—i.e., anything from the course can be on this test. (Don’t ask me what you need to know. I would never encourage you to be ignorant of anything).

Rounding Up/Down

Final grade percentages will be rounded up/down as appropriate.(For instance, 89.5% will be rounded up to 90% and 89.4% will be rounded down to 89%.)

Grading Scale

Final grades for the course will be assigned on the following scale:

A

92.5% to 100%

A-

89.5% to 92.49%

B+

86.5% to 89.49%

B

82.5% to 86.49%

B-

79.5% to 82.49%

C+

76.5% to 79.49%

C

72.5% to 76.49%

C-

69.5% to 72.49%

D

59.5% to 69.49%

F

0% to 59.49%

Writing Guidelines

In general, you should write in a way that a smart person who is not in our class will understand. More specifically, you should write clearly, cogently, concisely, and (if possible) creatively. Not sure how to do that? Find my advice in “How To Write A Philosophy Paper: 4 Criteria, 9 Tips“.

Paper Feedback

V. Course Policies

Electronics Policy

Aside from iClickers, electronics must be turned off and put away. You may use a computer/tablet/etc. for team-based assignments—e.g. so that you can search within each reading. But unless you have written permission from me, these devices must be put away during lectures and tests. Those who have permission to use such devices can lose permission if I find the laptops or cell phones distracting.

Make Up Policy for iClicker Problems

iClicker assignments that are missed or entered incorrectly because

you have not purchased your iClicker yet (or you have, but you have not received it yet)

you lost your iClicker (or you forgot to bring your iClicker to class)

are not excused. It is your responsibility to overcome these problems. My responsibility is to point you to the website, phone number, and email address for iClicker support:http://support.iclicker.com, 866.209.5698 (M-F 9am-9pm EST), support@iclicker.com

Late Policy for Homework Assignments

You can submit late homework assignments for full credit if you can provide a reasonable, documented excuse, such as a doctor’s note, for missing the deadline. If you lack a reasonable, documented excuse, then you can still submit a homework assignment for half credit as late as seven calendar days after the deadline. You will receive no credit for homework assignments submitted more than seven calendar days after the deadline without a reasonable, documented excuse.

Last Day Late to Submit Late Work

With no exceptions, the last day to submit late work is the Monday of the final week of class by 5 pm.

The “I just need to pass!” Policy

Anyone who satisfies all the following criteria will be guaranteed at least a C in this class: (a) you hand in both papers on time; (b) you miss no more than one in-class assignment; (c) you put forth a reasonable effort on all work; (d) you score (on average) at least 55% on the tests; and (e) you don’t commit academic dishonesty.

The “But I am an A student!” Policy

If you argue or imply that your grade in this class is somehow determined by your performance in other classes, then I will be confused.

The “Is there anything I can do to bring up my grade?” Policy

Extra-credit and/or make-up assignments are harder than assignments in the syllabus. For example, an extra credit assignment might be to explain a short book or a long book chapter in your own words. By submitting an extra-credit/make-up assignment, you agree to replace a grade on an assignment of your choosing with your grade on the extra-credit/make-up assignment—even if the latter ends up lower than the former.

Office Hours Policy

If you plan to attend office hours to get help understanding the material, then bring the relevant reading, your notes/flashcards (e.g., your completed in-class assignments), etc. If you have not completed the reading, taken notes, studied your notes, and practiced the material, then you do not yet need my help. You simply need to start reading, taking notes, studying, and/or practicing. Once you do that, I can (and am truly happy to) help.

The Pre-Grading Policy

The purpose of homework is to test how well you understand the material. So, no, I cannot read your paper before it is due and tell you what to change. That is what grading is for. (If you want to know the reason, re-read the first sentence of this policy again.) Of course, we can discuss the course material more generally.

The Cool-Down Policy

If you want to talk about how you did on an assignment or test, feel free to ask about it during office hours a couple days after the assignment is returned.

The “Will you write me a recommendation letter?” Policy

Generally, I am willing to write letters of recommendation for students that receive an A or A- in the course. I will consider arguments for making an exception.

Academic Integrity Policies

I take academic dishonesty very seriously, and I expect all students to abide by these ground rules:

You can work with classmates on in-class, team-based assignments. (Note: you should feel no obligation to work with anyone. Working alone is totally acceptable.)

You can work with classmates on your papers if you note who you worked with on the line below your name (e.g., “I worked with Marques Jones” …and Marques should write that they worked with you).

You should not work with classmates on tests and quizzes.

Anyone found guilty of engaging in academic dishonesty will be sanctioned in accordance with the university policy and will result in automatic Fail for the course.

Important Note #1: Failure to cite others’ ideas constitutes plagiarism—even if the failure was accidental or out of ignorance. Note: submitting your own work from previous semesters or other courses without citing its other submission(s) and without express permission from your professor can constitute plagiarism.

Important Note #2: It is common for postgraduate schools (e.g., med schools, law schools, software boot camps, etc.) and employers to ask your alma mater if you committed academic dishonesty. So, plagiarism and cheating can haunt you long after you graduate.

Respect Policy

We will be covering some controversial and sensitive issues. You will very likely disagree with other people in the class—including me—at some point in the semester. That’s fine. In philosophy, disagreement is common—ad often beneficial. Our goal is to express our disagreements in a way that respects the people with whom we disagree. Here are a few ways to do that.

If you want to ask a question or make a comment in class, then raise your hand and wait for me to call on you before you begin speaking. I will try my best to include as many people as time permits so that everyone has a chance to contribute to class discussions. You can also talk to me in office hours.

Unless we are doing team-based assignments, only one person should be talking at a time. Listen to whoever is talking.

Do not speak across the classroom while taking tests. If you have a question during a test, find me at the front of the class where we can quietly discuss.

Silence your electronics before class. Electronics’ noises are distracting and can cause unnecessary stress during quizzes and tests. Let’s agree to be kind to each other with our electronics: we will silence our devices before class starts, and if our device somehow makes noise during class, then we will silence it immediately.

VI. Course Schedule

The average reading is less than 10 pages! (You’re welcome). So, you have no (good) excuse for not reading the assigned reading (at least once) before every class. (And yes: there is assigned reading before the first day of class.) If you are looking for ways to read faster, see “Text-To-Speech for Speed Reading & More“.

** Test 2: Study your notes, in-class assignments, and ask about what is still confusing to you during class and/or office hours. **

VII. Philosophy Discussion Guidelines

In philosophy, what we believe matters less than why we believe it. That means that—among other things—you can argue for positions that you do not actually hold and argue against positions that you do hold. (It’s pretty fun, actually. Feel free to try it.) Class discussions are good opportunities to do this. You can comment and ask questions about the reading, in-class assignments, and lecture material. Good things to mention in class discussions include:

Arguments for and against what we discuss;

Objections to those arguments;

Counter-objections to those objections;

Examples to accompany those arguments, objections, and counter-objections;

Questions about the meanings of terms/phrases from those arguments, objections, and counter-objections.

When you float a claim or view in class, I will probably ask you for a reason—e.g., an argument or some evidence. So, when you find yourself wanting to make a claim or disagree with someone else’s claim, feel free to think of some reason that our class would probably accept. More importantly, try to be courageous enough to admit when you cannot think of good reasons for your claim or your disagreement—it is perfectly acceptable to find ourselves in that situation so long as we admit it.

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